?What are my best newbe optioins for fueling with a 90 gal tank for diesel?

I've the lists for pre inspection, etc, for when we arrive in Sault St. Marie. [If there's more than surface rust, or dry rot, we'll fly back home and it will be an expensive vacation.] Spell it out for me. I reviewed the Library last night.

What cards? I've Master, Visa and Discover.
What stations?
How/where do I find the lowest prices?

It's not panic time but it has been a whirlwind these past two weeks:

Adding an additional electrical service box along side the upgraded service I had installed in '00 with 50 amp for the Friendship.
x rewiring the original RV parking site to include 30 & 20 amp outlets
  up grading the kitchen so that an induction range can replace our avocado range
* Setting an electrical station aaaain the front with 30, 30 and 20 amp service
  buying a new refrigerator to replace the avocado refer -with limited space

bulldozing
* the side RV site and leveling
* the front inside N area so that
* the first of many loads of gravel
  pouring two 30' re-bared and screened cement "track pad strips" on on the side RV site
  slope retaiing blocks ordered

Finding a suitable 4x4 toad
* buying a '05 Nisan Frontier Nismo
* ordering the Remco and Blue Ox setup
* Accessories Unlimited . . . . . .
  Checking on license

X securing Rolling Stock

Making sure oldest son's 4x4 truck restored to safe drivable condition, He mad it
Setting up process to buy if passes pre inspection.
* Done Tuesday
* Jeff arrived from Tucson yesterday

Setting up the funds transfer process.
* forms completed
  review at credit union allowing for 2nd confirmation from MI

Picking up train tickets

Getting Estelle back to Dr's for review of band infection on hand

Bob,

We use http://autos.msn.com/everyday/GasStationsBeta.aspx to get an idea of prices. I have seen Forum-ites using at least five others.

I use all three cards, never had a place that wouldn't take one. Warning, though - many pumps will shutoff at $100 or some other number; just pump twice, but most cards won't let you pump three times (like two for the rig, one for the toad). You can always ask the counter clerk to hold your card.

We won't usually fill at a mom and pop in the boonies because we might question the quality of the fuel. Given the number of smaller diesel trucks anymore, that is not the issue it once was. Name brand stores and truck stops are always good bets. Might want to check the last time your water separator was drained and know where it is.

Remember that a nickel difference on 100 gals is $5 - you can chase prices and lose the advantage pretty easily at less than 10mpg. We start shopping at a 1/2 tank and just try to keep the fuel prices averaged out.

It all works out. Not the biggest thing to lose sleep over.

Kim

We usually use truck stops for diesel, simply because the of the extra room. They take credit cards, but you might pay more for a Credit transaction than for cash at the truck islands at some of them. If you can easily fit at the car diesel islands, that is not an issue. Pilot/Flying J offers an RV discount card that also assures you the cash price with a credit card - see Pilot-FJ RV.

Most Class A diesels with a big tank can handle the larger nozzles at the truck islands and they will fill the tank much faster. The downside is that the truck islands tend to have more spilled fuel and you don't pay at the pump.

The main consideration is eyeballing any station you want to use to make sure you can maneuver through and out. Hate it when I get sandwiched into a fuel stop! The bigger the rig, the more important this becomes. Avoid stations where the pump lane points in toward the store - that forces you to corss several lanes of cars at  the pumps or the store. Pump lanes that are parallel to the street are an easier in/out in most cases.

Gary RV Roamer said:

The main consideration is eyeballing any station you want to use to make sure you can maneuver through and out. Hate it when I get sandwiched into a fuel stop!

Click to expand...

To Gary's point, I have even gone so far as to stop away from the pump area and walked it to make sure I had the room I need and my vision was not blocked by parked cars, hidden challenges, etc. I learned that lesson many years ago fueling airplanes which are even hard to maneuver under power than a motorhome. If you aren't sure, don't take a chance. The consequences far outweigh your hurry. It becomes extremely important when you have your toad hooked up.

Once you get comfortable with how your rig maneuvers in tight places, this won't be such a burden, but early on, being over cautious will spare you a lot of grief. I wish I could tell you the number of stories from first time owners I have been told who thought they were driving a Yugo at the fuel stop.

The main consideration is eyeballing any station

Click to expand...

And, Bob - I know you know this but reminders are useful - eyeballing includes looking up!  :  If a truck can fit there, so can you, and that's why we prefer truck stops.

It sounds like things are moving right along and you'll soon be back to RVing.  Yeaaa!

ArdraF

Good advice there. Your message sounds breathless. Relax. Remember, it is a recreational vehicle.

Have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.  The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Platinum Mastercard provides a 5% discount on all fuel purchases made at the pump with no monthly or annual restrictions on the amount of discounts.  The discount applies at any fueling point where Mastercard is accepted.

Not military or former military?  Not a problem, just follow the online instructions for becoming a member.

We have been using the PFCU Mastercard for 4 years now without any problems.

Other than being a happy customer member of PFCU, we have no relationship with the company or interest in this product.

Don 

We also use PenFed and are another happy customer. I have been buying a loarge per centage of our diesel at non truck stop stations and have had only one situation where i decided it was just too tight to mess with. Many of the large grocery chains are putting in new fuel islands and they are very easy to use as well as very competitive and allow me to reuse the card a couple of times to finish filling up.

I just filled up at King Soopers (Kroger) in Fort Collins and with the 5% rebate the 3.669 netted out at around 3.51 a gallon. Flying J at Cheyenne was 3.839. (I know that because I stopped there first and my card would not work at the pumps and they wanted me to bring it inside-NOT!)

skyking4ar2 said:

Might want to check the last time your water separator was drained and know where it is.

Click to expand...

And have several spare fuel filters, know where it is and have the tools, if required, to change it.

And be careful, make sure you read the posted price. There is often a different price for cash and credit. And in Mich, that applies to auto fuel, gas or diesel.

Bob

We always store ours full. Also a 90 gal tank. I start looking for fuel at about 650 miles on the trip OD. I'll push it to get to the Isletta filling station. They have a really nice truck area with pumps on both sides and the big nozzles. So it's our last stop on most trips. We usually head north especially in the summer so stopping off there on the way home isn't out of our way. The times we go to Ruidoso we go a little out of our way and backtrack home to get fuel there.

On long road trips I try to stay away from filling stations, the one time I didn't I had a wreck, and use Truck Stops. I just bought this book and it helps. http://www.amazon.com/RVers-Friend-American-Parking-Directory/dp/1890141410/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312734590&sr=8-1

Remember Black Smoke = Power

If you have a smart phone, look at GasBuddy App

It has Regular / Midgrade / Premium / Diesel at this moment, Regular is running $3.43 - $3.55, Diesel $3.79 - $3.99 in my Zip code, you can load the information via Zip code, Town, state or street address. So once you have a clue about MPG you could check a map, and calculate travel distances that work for your driving style, for the MPG and for the best price on fuel.

Most of the bigger fuel company's will have room enough in their gas stations, so look on the GasBuddy App for "The Names"!

It can also sort the date by price or by distance giving you the nearest first... used that a couple of times in the car when not paying attention to the fuel gauge! :-[ 

I ordered the book Dick, thanks, and I book marked gasbuddy. All from the Amtrak observation car on our trains , planes and motorhome trip!

Be sure that when you are going to be stopped for a number of days,  week(s), months, to fill it up to the top before you park it.

This helps eliminate condensate in the tank, and then, if you need to get away in a hurry, you don't have to worry about getting fuel.  As has been said, carry filters, bucket and tools to change out the filter(s).

*************************************************************
I use Gas Buddy the evening before I am likely to fill up to determine the cheapest place to get fuel.

Good luck!  Be sure and take time at SSM to watch the ships going through the locks.  It is interesting.